GUEST
By Joanne M. Duncan, President, Membership and Business Operations Division, Biotechnology Innovation Organization
2017 BIO International Convention Coming Back to San Diego The BIO International Convention will return to San Diego June 19-22, 2017. The event is hosted by BIO, the world’s largest trade association representing biotech companies, academic institutions, and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. Biocom is a key partner in hosting the BIO International Convention and will join BIO in welcoming 16,000 attendees from every sector of the biotech industry and from more than 70 nations around the globe. With a theme and tagline, “breakthrough”, the BIO International Convention or “BIO 2017” encourages attendees to make breakthrough connections through 1,800 exhibitors, high profile keynote sessions, 18 education panels, a state-of-the-art partnering system and exciting evening networking events.
BREAKTHROUGH THEME Since the very first DNA molecule was sequenced, extraordinary scientific breakthroughs have transformed how we treat patients, fuel our planet and feed a growing global population. As biotechnology has grown and evolved, so has the BIO International Convention. For more than two decades, the BIO Convention has been the place to learn about today’s breakthroughs and to discover how to capitalize on the next wave of scientific discovery. Hence this one word—breakthrough—became the theme for BIO 2017. The event will celebrate the breakthrough achievements that have put the industry at the forefront of so many innovations, facilitate breakthrough partnerships that have come to define the BIO International Convention and support efforts to break through barriers that threaten to stand in the way of innovation.
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Biocom LifeLines Spring 2017
WHY SAN DIEGO? Southern California has evolved into one of the world’s largest life science hubs with more than 1,100 life sciences companies and over 80 independent and university affiliated research institutes. Biocom brings more than 20 years of experience in Southern California advocating for this incredible cluster. With one of the highest concentrations of biotech companies, academic research institutions and talented labor forces in the world, SoCal is a major driver of global life sciences research, development, manufacturing, and commercialization. WHAT TO EXPECT Quality Networking: Typically, more than 42% of BIO attendees are high level executives—CEOs, C-Level, or Vice Presidents. The public sector is also well represented with over 100 international and domestic public officials including congressmen, congresswomen, governors and mayors. Attendees come from more than 48 states and 76 countries and from every channel of biotechnology including medical, industrial and environmental, agriculture, academia and venture capital. BIO 2017 will play host to countless networking and partnering opportunities. There are evening receptions on Monday and Wednesday, Hospitality Receptions on Tuesday and the BIO Talent Connect on Thursday. There are also Meetups and dozens of other ways to break through and connect! Visit convention.bio.org/ networking for updates. Keynotes and Programming: BIO’s keynote sessions are huge draws because they feature successful and well known individuals who have left a mark in industry, government, entertainment or